Travelogue-Chicago Day 3 Soldier Field/Skyline

Yesterday, the Windy City lived up to its name and brought to a halt the operation of the water taxi service from Navy Pier to the Shedd Aquarium area.   Today, the weather was better but not by much, better enough to let the service run today but you will definitely feel it.  You may think Im going soft because Im going to an aquarium.  But Im not going to the big fish tank but to the football field behind it.  Soldier Field is another hallowed ground for sports fans.

 

The Chicago Bears have won a Super Bowl and have had famed players such as Walter Payton,  Jim McMahon, and Mike Singletary who went on to recently coach the SF 49ers.  They loved their columns at this arena.  The east and west sides are bordered by columnades.  The arena is also famed for the snowy winter games that are a commonplace during Chicago winters.  

There is no game today but there were areas open to walk around on.  Views of the field not readily acce3ssible.  The best that could be had was this sighting of the scoreboard and the adjacent seats

After completing my little walk, it was time to catch the water taxi back to Navy Pier.  The wind has kicked up and the boat was rocking pretty heavily and we hadnt even left the dock yet.  From this vantage point, there are great views of the city skyline from where I just left to where Im going to disembark.

 The sun was going down in the western sky and chasing us on our way north.  The wind jostling us up, down, left, right and every which way.

At times, it was very challenging to hold the camera still while trying to take a snapshot.  Even harder when taking video as every little movement is pronounced.   Even time lapse could not smooth out the ride that I had. 

Travelogue-Chicago Day 3 Lunch

Morton's  Steakhouse started in Chicago but not at this locaton on Wacker near Michigan.  The reaon I didnt go to the original location is because of the specail lunch menu available at this location.  This is my first time at Morton's even though there is a location back home

 

Im first served this large onion roll  with a pat of butter thats just as large.  There was only me at the table, me.  I would have needed a much larger appetite to finish this beach ball of a bun.

The first of therr courses begins.  I chose the lobster bisque.  It smelled very creamy but did not taste as it smelled.  Aside from that, theres a slight spicey finish to each spoonful.  It was finished off with a nice little nugget of lobster meat.

The entree was a nice rib eye done medium rare.  It was accompanied by mashed potatoes.  The steak was cooked very adeptly and very good.  This was aplain cut of meat, not aged in anyh way.  The potatoes were to have garlic butter but did not pack much of a garlic punch to it.  However, The waitress did initially offer to add more butter if it was not to my taste

Lastly, I opted for the double chocolate mouse in the third course.  By now, I was very full and could not even finish the dessert.  Im no chocolate fiend but I thought it was good with a littler bitterness on the tail end.  The whipped cream helped to round that off

Travelogue-Chicago Day 2 Navy Pier, Magnificent Mile, etc

Navy Pier sticks out into Lake Michigan just north of the Chicago River.  It is much like Pier 39 back home but on a much larger scale.

 

There are retail outlets as well as many places to get a varied assortment of meals.  Knowing how kids are such an important demographic, they are marketted heavily with a kids museum and stores that cater to their wants  

At the very far end of the pier, a llarge unoccupied hall can be used for all manor of events, I assume

Nary a flag lay limp as powerful winds made walking difficult for some.  Angling your self into the wind was the only way one could make headway

The flipside of the pier was less ornate and seemed to only serve as an after thought

Adjacent, the blocks of Michigan Ave north of the riverr make up s shopping district knwon as the Magnificent Mile   Shops that line this boulevard range from high end brands like Burberry

Laastly, I went back to Portillo's to try their italian beef sandwich.  I took the sandwich back to my room so it was not as hot as when I ordered it and it had softened itself during the journey.  The seasoned slices of beef lay in a roll with onion, jalapeno peppers, and carrots.  The au jus can be applied with a heavy hand or a light touch.  It was good.  It had much more flavors than a Philly cheesesteak.

Travelogue-Chicago Day 2 Water Taxi

Near the base of Willis Tower at Adams, where it meets the river, one of the water taxi opertions runs from here to Michigan Ave then to Navy Pier.  As we headed north on the river, you can see that there are a number of sightseeing operations lauding the architecture of the city.

 

There is fork in the river around Lake St.   The yellow train ine runs qalong the bridge.  The taxi continues east toward the mouth of the river.

After rounding the bend, it was a straight shot to the lake.  We motored under many of the b ridges that cross the river at places liek Calrk, Dearborn, State, and Michigan Ave.  There is a briefe stop at Michigaqn before reaching its final destination

Once you get past the mouth of the river, you enter the sheltered harbor.  The protection was needed today as you could feel the high winds coming off the lake before leaving the river.  The winds caused alot of chop in the lake waters and the water taxi from the pier to the Shedd Awuarium/Soldier Field area was put out of operatrion.

Finally, here is a time lapse video of the water taxi going from Michigan back to Willis Tower

Travelogue-Chicago Day 2 Willis Tower

At one time, Willis Tower, formerly Sears Tower, was the tallest building in the world.  Only blocks from where Im staying, an early visit is recommended as the lines get very lengthy as the day wears on.  The line to buy tickets was very short but the wait for the elevatore was somewhat lengthy.

 

After exiting the lifts and heading out towards the left, you face the southern face of the building.  Southeast shows Lake Michigan on this blustery overcast day

FAcing due east, views of Grant and MilleniumPark, The Loop, and River North as seen below

Not a whole to see to the north.

Finally, the last face points to the west

On the west face of the building are some outcroppings visible from the otuside.  These are kind of like bay windows.  These windows jut out about 3 feet from the building

Constructed of clear materials, it lets you step out beyond the facade of the building and peer at the street below.  Most people who lined up for this view readily stepped out onto the ledge.  However, there were still a few who were hesitant to leave the safety of the carpettted floor.  Many would squat, lay down, or sit down while having others take their picture.  For some, self pictures were taken while holding the camera as high above themselves as possible.  To aid the tourists and others, the last window was setup with a camera for those who wou,d like to purchase a photo off the aforementioned view.